Small Group Protest Firing of 2 Women by Bev Castillo

A small protest was held this morning near the office of Area Representative Beverly Castillo. A group of women was denied a permit to protest but still gathered to decry the firing of two women who were let go by Castillo because they purportedly supported Minister Patrick Faber and not John Saldivar for the first deputy leader of the U.D.P. According to the women, the firings are unfair because they voted for the party. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A small gathering of women, minute by conventional measure for protestors, assembled a short distance away from their constituency office in Ladyville this morning. The group, in the absence of a permit to legally picket in front of Area Representative Beverly Castillo’s office, came out in support of Ingrid Hernandez.

Protestor

“I’m upset because she fired a young lady by the name of Mrs. Ingrid Hernandez and one young lady by the name of Elena Kerr, right, based on the election that happened for the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize. Well my thing is, at the end of the day she voted for the same party so I don’t see the reason why she was fired from her job because she voted for Mr. Patrick Faber.”

Patrick Faber

Hernandez was summarily dismissed from her post at the Belize Rural Central constituency office on Tuesday, on suspicion that she voted for Patrick Faber during a special convention held by the United Democratic Party just two days before.

Patrick Faber, Deputy Party Leader, U.D.P. [File: June 1st, 2016]

“The particular situation with Ingrid and Bev, Minister Castillo, is that Ingrid works in the office and it is not a government position so to speak. She works in the constituency office, as I understand it, where Minister Bev pays her from maybe the constituency allowances or other sources that she has for the constituency work. So in my view it is unfair, but then you’ll also have to understand Minister Bev’s position as well.”

That opinion is that Hernandez should have been faithful to her political boss by casting a ballot in favor of John Saldivar, one of two candidates who offered themselves for the post of First Deputy Party Leader. The contention is that she was let go on the strength of an assumption.

Protestor

“It’s really ridiculous to see that a woman that has been working so hard by Mrs. Beverly Castillo’s side, walking in the hot sun, in the rain, leaving her kids at home unattended or with family members because she is devoted to her party and to get her fired from her job like that based on a “because I vote for a same person in the party” you will fire this young lady.”

While the turnout may have been less than impressive, their message to the politician was quite clear.

In Hernandez’s own words, her termination is particularly painful because even if she voted for Faber it is still one United Democratic Party, a political organization which prides itself on free and fair elections.

Ingrid Hernandez

Ingrid Hernandez, Disgruntled U.D.P. Delegate [File: May 31st, 2016]

“It hurts me because I have done Beverly Castillo no wrong. This is a U.D.P. family and I have the right to vote for [whomsoever] I choose and she cannot assume that I have voted for Patrick Faber because she does not know who I voted for. She cannot assume that or point to me and say, “You have supported Honorable Patrick Faber.”

Albeit the sentiment of only a handful of residents, they maintain that Castillo has done little for the constituency.

Protestor

“It’s totally ridiculous fu mek you fyah dis young lady because ih vote and because you vex because you mi deh wid John Saldivar and John Saldivar neva win? Weh da yo problem? Yo undastand. And Miss Beverly is, ah noh sih weh ih do fu Ladyville. From my point of view, I noh sih nothing weh ih do fu Ladyville. Nothing whatsoever, the football field, the park, no summer program for the kids, no nothing fu single mothers, no nothing weh yo could geh wahn job.”

In all fairness to Castillo, it has only been a few months since she assumed office as area representative. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

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